Gibbs and Associates, developer of GibbsCAM® software for maximizing programming efficiency of CNC machine tools and a Cimatron company, announced today that, in October, its GibbsCAM software passed Microsoft-designed tests for compatibility and reliability on PCs running the Windows® 7 operating system. Microsoft recommends "Compatible with Windows 7" products because they install readily, run reliably on Windows 7, and represent a commitment that the products will continue to work over the life of Windows 7. GibbsCAM now has 32- and 64-bit versions for the new operating system.

"We aggressively develop and pursue technology to help customers achieve higher productivity with as much ease-of-use as possible," says Bill Gibbs, Gibbs and Associates company founder and president. "The Windows 7 operating system is all about making things easier, and that's what our software is designed to do for machinists and CNC programmers. So we are pleased with the result of our relationship with Microsoft, and proud to be one of the first to offer Windows 7 users fully compatible CAM software."

GibbsCAM users can now avail themselves of various Windows 7 features to get work done faster and to better manage work flow, files and archives. Among these features are:

Search – now includes Libraries to list, in one place, files stored in local drives or remote drives located anywhere on the network

Improved taskbar, with full screen previews – provides one-click access to applications pinned to the taskbar, click and drag icons on the taskbar to rearrange them, see thumbnail views of every file or window that opens in an application by hovering over its icon, and show full preview of any file by hovering over its thumbnail

Jump lists – enable quick search of files recently used, with a mere right-click on the application icon in the taskbar

Snaps – allows quick comparison of open files by dragging a window to either side of the screen to "snap" it to the edge and fill half the screen, then snapping another file to the other side to fill that half of the screen

64-bit operation – for faster processing, under certain conditions, when operating with 4GB RAM or more

Better use of memory – less RAM is used by the operating system, which also allocates RAM to background processes only when they are required